Document details

Authoritarian Journalism: Controlling the News in Post-Conflict Rwanda

Oxford: Oxford University Press (2024), viii, 210 pp.

Contains bibliogr. pp. 181-199, index

Series: Journalism and Political Communication Unbound

ISBN 9780197623459 (online); 9780197623411 (print)

Signature commbox: 145:10-Journalism 2024

"This book examines journalism practice in Rwanda to draw conclusions applicable to journalism fields everywhere. Drawing on seven months of fieldwork, the book argues that this field of journalism is weak in part because of powerful but murky political boundaries but also because journalists themselves do not trust their profession. Compounding these forces are a powerful field orientation that emphasizes cooperation and positive development as news values and economic pressures that reward these values and render precarious any other behavior. Moreover, while global professional influences might provide an animating force, they in fact serve to reinforce the limitations of the local field—highlighting the limitations of globalization to effect change." (Publisher description)
1 On the Margins: Understanding Peripheral Journalism, 1
2 Strong State, Weak Field: The Forces Shaping Journalism in Rwanda, 28
3 Founding Myths: Stories as Building Blocks of Journalism Practice, 55
4 Underbaked or Unrealized: "Underdevelopment" as a Journalistic Keyword, 82
5 Money Matters: The News Values of Business Pressure, 109
6 Bridging Worlds: Working Global While Living Local, 133
Conclusion: What Is Weak Journalism Good For? The Power and Potential of Peripheral Practice, 156